Psychology is a discipline defined by the scientific study of behavior. Our curriculum provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to investigate questions important to the human condition from a scientific perspective, emphasizing clear thinking, communication skills, and ethical judgment. In addition, we strive to foster the personal and professional growth of students in our department by offering extensive and varied opportunities for integrative experiential learning, including faculty/student collaborative research, teaching practica, service learning, and on- and off-campus internships.

Our goal is to produce graduates with a high level of reflective, critical and complex thinking skills derived from their knowledge of the basic principles and methodology in both traditional and emerging branches of psychology. They will be well prepared to pursue advanced training and rewarding careers in psychology and related disciplines, and to be active and engaged lifelong learners prepared to make positive contributions to the people and world around them.

Special Requirements:The department recommends that 111, 221, and 235 be taken in sequence during the first and second years. These courses are prerequisites for full acceptance to the major. Also, all 300-level courses require 111. Many 300-level courses also require 221 and 235 as prerequisites. The psychology department also engages in a process of annual assessment in which all majors are expected to participate.

Suggestions:All majors should obtain a copy of the Handbook for Psychology Students from their faculty advisor, another Psychology Department faculty member, or the department coordinator. The Handbook for Psychology Students is also distributed in PSYC 235.

Minor (20 credits)

Required Courses:111 plus 16 credits in psychology.

Courses (PSYC)

111 Introductory Psychology. (4)Prerequisite to all upper-division psychology courses. Survey of the major content areas of psychology, introducing the basic vocabulary, concepts, principles, and theories of the discipline. Specific topics include history and methods of psychology; biological bases of behavior; sensation and perception; learning and memory; cognition, language, and intelligence; motivation and emotion; lifespan development; personality; psychological disorders; psychological treatment/psychotherapy; and social psychology. Multiple sections offered every semester.

271 Individual Learning Project. (1-4)Supervised reading or research at the lower-division level. Approval of department chair required. Not available to first-year students.

280 Theories of Personality. (4)Foundational issues in personality psychology, including the personality construct, levels of analysis in personality psychology, the nature and purpose of personality theories, and criteria for evaluating the adequacy of psychological theories. Major domains of knowledge and theoretical perspectives on the psychology of personality, including biological, psychodynamic, dispositional (trait), cognitive, affective, and social/cultural approaches. Consideration of psychological adjustment and psychopathology in relation to personality psychology. Prerequisite: 111. Typically offered every year.

300 Empirical Research Project. (1-4)Supervised study including an empirical data-based research project. Permission of instructor and department chair and completion and/or concurrent registration of 12 credits within the department required.

302 Reading in Psychology. (0-1)Reading and discussion of classic or contemporary works in Psychology, moderated by a member of the Psychology Department. Interested faculty and students in other areas are welcome to participate as well. Each section of this course is typically devoted to a single work, but occasionally a group of smaller works by a single author may be selected. S/U grading only. May be repeated for credit.

304 Industrial/Organizational Psychology. (4)The study and application of the principles of psychology to work place behavior in a wide variety of organizations (e.g., industrial/profit making, governmental, human service, non-profit, etc.). Industrial/organizational psychology attempts to answer two major questions: Why do people behave the way they do within organizations? How can we use this information to improve the effectiveness of the organization and lives of its members? Topics include selecting and evaluating employees, training and development, organizational culture, job satisfaction and motivation, leadership, communication, decision making, quality of work life, work stress and health. Prerequisite: 111. Note: This course may also be fulfilled in the management department as MGMT 301. Typically offered every other year.

308 Psychology of Gender. (4)This course will cover the broadest areas of academic and applied psychology viewed through the lens of gender. All topics will be explored with gender as the salient variable of analysis. The course will begin with the development of psychology as a science with inherent scientific gender biases. Major psychological principles and theories will be analyzed by gender in the areas of human development, physiological processes, social relationships, applied psychology in the workplace, mental health and illness issues, and psychotherapy. Prerequisite: 111. Typically offered every other year.

309 Selected Topics in Psychology. (2-4)Topics in psychology of particular relevance to the interests and needs of psychology majors and/or students in psychology. The topics for the course will be announced each semester. Prerequisite: announced with course listing. One or more sections typically offered each semester.

310 Community Psychology. (4)Community Psychology is an applied field within psychology that attempts to develop community interventions for the purpose of preventing psychological disorder and promoting mental health. As a result, community psychologists are actively involved in the community and within community organizations. Sample topics include: Collaborative community research, the psychological sense of community, psychological stress and social support, organizing community change, and citizen participation in mental health initiatives. Prerequisites: 111 and junior/senior standing. Typically offered every other year.

311 Sports Psychology. (4)The scientific study of the behavioral, affective, and cognitive reactions of participants and spectators to various sport settings, with emphasis on the potential of sport to contribute to psychological health and wellbeing, as well as the potential for sport to increase anxiety, aggression, violence, and injury. The role of the sports psychologist is examined, including increasing the level of athletic performance, dealing with the emotional problems of athletes, educating athletes, coaches, and spectators, and studying human behavior and mental processes in sports settings. Prerequisite: 111. Typically offered every other year.

320 Principles of Learning and Behavior. (4)An exploration of the basic principles of conditioning and learning. The course covers the phenomena of Pavlovian and operant conditioning as well as their place in the larger theoretical framework of psychology. The course also covers application of these principles to understanding social and individual behavior. Prerequisite: 235. Offered every year.

330 Perception. (4)An exploration of the ways in which we construct a world of things and events from the flow of stimulus energy. Covers such topics as color vision, form perception, perception of space and movement, perceptual constancies, and music and speech perception. Prerequisite: 111. Offered every year.

342 Psychopharmacology. (4)This course is designed to familiarize students with current drugs including antipsychotics, antidepressants, antianxiety agents, and drugs of abuse. An emphasis will be placed on the action of these drugs at the synaptic level, indications and contraindications for their use, and potential side effects. Prerequisite: 111. Typically offered every other year.

343 Health Psychology. (4)This course will survey various models of the mind-body interaction as related to physical health. Topics may include: psychoneuroimmunology, the role of stress on mental and physical health, psychosomatic disorders, behavioral medicine, and the psychology of illness and wellness. Recommended for pre-med, pre-physical therapy, and pre-occupational therapy majors. Prerequisite: 111. Typically offered every other year.

345 Human Sexuality. (4)This course surveys human sexual behavior from a variety of perspectives, including biological, cross-cultural, developmental, clinical, legal, historical and inter-personal. In addition, students will address the more controversial issues in greater detail through class discussions. For juniors and seniors only. Typically offered every other year.

347 Tests and Measurements. (4)Develops the most basic concepts of evaluating psychological measures: reliability, validity, and normative data and then proceeds to show how these principles can be used to evaluate new and existing measures. Topics covered include basic review of descriptive statistics, ability and achievement assessment, personality assessment, and factor analysis. Prerequisite: 221. Typically offered every other year.

349 Motivation and Emotion. (4)The words "motivation" and "emotion" come from the same root: both refer to the psychological "forces" underlying action (behavior). This course will examine the biological, psychological, and social bases that consciously or unconsciously direct our behavior. Topics may include: the physiology of emotion, moral development, attachment and "free will." Prerequisite: 111. Typically offered every other year.

350 Social Psychology. (4)This course reviews the major theories and methodologies in social psychology, the scientific study of how people think about, are influenced by, and behave in relation to others. The course will examine how people view themselves and others and the accuracy of those thoughts, the social forces that impact people's behavior and attitudes, and how people relate to each other (prejudice, aggression, attraction, and helping). Prerequisite: 111. Offered every year.

360 Developmental Psychology. (4)The study of age-related changes that occur as the individual moves through life. Major theoretical perspectives, concepts, and research methods for examining physical, cognitive, moral and social-emotional development. Prerequisite: 111. Offered every year, typically each semester.

370 Clinical and Counseling Psychology. (4)The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to the fields of clinical and counseling psychology. Major topics covered include: the historical backgrounds of these fields, the educational requirements for professionals, the use of assessment techniques and professional issues and issues related to clientele. Basic helping skills, which are useful in any form of communication, are developed. In addition, the theories most representative of the various schools of psychotherapy are explained. Prerequisite: 111. Offered every year.

371 Individual Learning Project. (1-4)Supervised reading or research at the upper-division level. Approval of department chair and completion and/or concurrent registration of 12 credits within the department required. Not available to first year students.

381 Abnormal Psychology. (4)This course is designed to be an overview of the various forms of abnormal behavior. Etiology, assessment, and treatment for each disorder will be included. Diagnostic classification will be emphasized. Prerequisite: 111. Offered every year, typically each semester.

382 Neuropsychology. (4)This course explores one of the fastest growing areas of psychology. Neuropsychology is the study of brain-behavior relationships in health and disease. This course will cover assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of various difficulties from infancy through old age. Central to this will be a working understanding of the central nervous system. Prerequisite: 111. Typically offered every other year.

392 History of Psychology. (4)Historical analysis of psychology from the field's beginnings in philosophy and the natural sciences through the 1980s. Students will give presentations and engage in other activities (e.g., class discussion) based on their own research on the history of psychology. Prerequisites: Senior standing and 20 credits in psychology. Offered every year.

393 Psychology Seminar. (4)Detailed consideration of special topic; library research and possible laboratory work included; participants will prepare and present a major paper to seminar participants. Prerequisites: Senior standing and 20 credits in psychology.

396 Senior Research Project. (4)Limited study examining a student's own researchable hypothesis in consultation with one or more department members. Prerequisites: Senior standing and 20 credits in psychology. Fall only.

397 Psychology Internship. (4-8)Internship in an approved setting. Work experience in an area of applied psychology supervised by agency personnel and department coordinator. Prerequisites: Senior standing, 20 credits in psychology and approval of department chair.

398 Honors Senior Essay, Research or Creative Project. (4)Limited study examining a student's own researchable hypothesis in consultation with one or more department members. Required for graduation with "Distinction in Psychology." Prerequisite: HONR 396 and approval of the department chair and director of the Honors Thesis program. For further information see HONR 398.

399 Psychology Teaching Practicum. (4)Meet twice per cycle for a teaching seminar plus direct experience developing and teaching introductory psychology laboratories. Based on a broad review of psychology, the practicum emphasizes acquisition of skills in teaching, facilitating discussion, developing organizational skills, and interacting with students in a leadership role. Prerequisites: 20 credits in psychology and upper-division standing. Applications to Psychology Teaching Practicum are solicited each spring for the following academic year. You must apply at that time to be considered for this course.